Alarm clock



R. KRAMER Dec. 30, 1941.

ALARM CLOCK Filed Sept. 14, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet l FIG.

ATTORNEY.

Dec. 30, 1941. R. KRAMER ALARM CLOCK Filed Sept. 14, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

Richard Kr amar* A TTORNEY.

R. vKRAMER 2,268,216

ALARM CLOCK Dec. 30, 1941.

4 Sheets-Shea?l 5 Filed Sept. 14, 1958 INVENTOR.`

Richard K ramer Wma( ATTORNEY.

R. KRAMER Dec. 30, '1941.

ALARM CLOCK Filed Sept. 14, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. 7

FIG. Il

INVENTOR.

Richard K ramer A TTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 30, 1941 ALARM CLOCK Richard Kramer, Chicago, Ill., assignor to General Time Instruments Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application September 14, 1938, Serial No. 229,834

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in alarm clocks, and in particular to an alarm clock of the type which will be automatically shut oi after ringing for a predetermined period.

Alarm clocks of this type are usually provided with anv eight-day movement so that the alarm spring and the clock spring need be wound only once a week. Assuming that it is desired that the alarm ring at the same time every morning, it will be seen that such a clock is fully automatic in its operation from one week to the next for the alarm is automatically set each day after being shut off.

In addition to certain improvements in the above construction I have also provided means by which the alarm may be skipped for a day, the alarm automatically resetting itself so that it will ring on the second day thereafter.

An object of this invention is to provide an improved automatic alarm clock.

A further object is to provide an alarm mechanism which will ring for a predetermined period, the length of which period may be regulated.

A further object is to provide an improved alarm mechanism which will be automatically shut olf and reset so that it will automatically ring every twenty-four hours.

A further object is to provide an improved alarm mechanism in which the alarm may be rendered inoperative for a twenty-four hour period, and which will be automatically reset for operation thereafter.

A further object is to provide an improved alarm clock in which the alarm may be dampened.

A further object is to provide an improved alarm clock in which the alarm may be either skipped or shut off permanently.

Other objects, features and advantages will become apparent as the description proceeds.

I accomplish these objects by the means shown in the accompanying rdrawings in which;

Figure 1 is a partial front View of the clock with the frame plate removed and with the parts shown in their position before the alarm is released.

Figure 2 is -a top view of the same.

Figure 3 is a partial front View with the parts shown in their position during the operation of the alarm.

Figure 4 is a partial front view with the parts shown in their position as the alarm is stopped. Figure 5 is a partial front view with the parts shown in their position when the skip mechanism is set.

Figure 6 is a top view of the same.

Figure 7 is a front View of the alarm indicator dial.

Figure 3 is a rear view of the alarm shut-off mechanism.

Figure 9 is a left side View of the same.

Figure l0 is a rear View of the mechanism by which the length of the period of the alarm is regulated.

Figure l1 is an elevation of the same.

Similar numerals represent the same parts throughout the several views.

In the accompanying drawings reference numeral I represents the front frame plate and 2 the rear frame plate of a clock. The plates I and 2 are mounted on and held in proper position by a plurality of conventional pillars, not shown.

Journally mounted in said plates I and 2 is the usual center shaft 3 'which carries the hands of the clock, and mounted on said center shaft 3 is the gear wheel 4. Also jorunally mounted in the plates is an alarm trip shaft 5 on which is frictionally mounted by means of friction disc 6 a gear wheel 'I which engages the gear wheel 4 in the usual manner. Integral with the gear wheel 'I is the alarm indicator dial 9. Indicator hand Ill is fixed at the end of shaft 5 as shown. Cam I3, cam I4 and a gear wheel II which engages a clock movement represented by the gear wheel I2 are also affixed to shaft 5 for rotation therewith.

Rotatably mounted on a stationary shaft I5 is a lever I5 having a follower portion II and a projection I8, the follower being adapted to cooperate With cam I3 as shaft 5 is rotated by the clock movement.

The shaft I9 journally mounted in plates I and 2 represents the alarm spring arbor, the alarm spring being not shown herein. Shaft I9 carries rigidly mounted thereon the gear wheel 20 which engages pinion 2I attached to a shaft 22 which is journally mounted in frame plates I and 2. Rigidly attached to shaft 22 is a gear wheel 23 which engages a pinion 24 mounted on a shaft 25 which is also journally mounted in the frame plates. An escape wheel 26, attached to shaft 25, engages the usual verge 2l which is fixed to the shaft 28 journally mounted in the frame plates.

Fastened to verge 2'I is a member 29 having a shank 30 to which is attached hammer 3l, and having projections 32 and 33. 'I'he projection 32 is provided with the further semi-circular projection 34.

Aflixed to shaft 22 is a screw 35 and a retaining 'may pass through curved aperture 53.

member 35 which is provided with a bevelled surface 3l and a shoulder 33, as shown.

Rotatably and slidably mounted in frame plates I and 2 is a shaft 33 having iiXed thereon knob 4D and stop collar 4I. A forked lever 42 is fastened on said shaft 33 and is provided with projections 43 and 45 as well as a further projection 45, serving as a follower to engage the screw 35, as shown in Figure 3. Forked lever 42 is also provided with an aperture 46 through which extends one end of coiled spring 47. The other end of said spring is anchored to the frame plate 2 by means of a suitably located stud, not shown. Rotatably mounted on the back of outer case 48 of the clock, with the stud 43 as a pivot is a stop member 55 whichis formed with surfaces I and 52 lying in different planes and a curved aperture 53 as shown in Figures l0ll. A projection 54 from said stop member 55 serves as a lever for manual operation. The stop member is so disposed on the case 43 that the shaft 39 Shaft 39 being slidably mounted in the plates, is urged backwardly by spring 4'! until the stop collar 4I engages the stop member 5I! either on surface 5I, surface 52, or the intermediate sloping surface. Consequently, the position of projection 45 with respect to screw is determined by the angular position of stop lever 50, projection being mounted on shaft 39. The position of projection 45 with respect to the screw 35 in turn determines the length of the alarm.

Slidably mounted on the back of outer case 4B is an alarm shut-olf member S4, which has formed therein apertures 55 and 56 and which slidably engages the studs 5l' and 58 as shown in Figure 8. A projection 53 of shut-off member 64 serves as a lever for manual operation. The curved projection Sil is a part of, and is bent at right angles to the portion of said shut-off member already described and has fastened thereto the leather member 5I.

The shut-off member is so disposed on the back of the outer case 43, with respect to the hammer 3l, that when said shut-off member is in the position shown in Figure 8, the hammer is free to strike the gong B2, acting through the aperture 53 in the outer case 43. When the shut-off member is in the position indicated by the dotted lines of Figure 8, the leather member SI is interposed between hammer 3l and gong 62 which dampens or mules the sound produced. If the shut-olf member is moved upwardly as far as it will go, the curved projection 5I) will be interposed in the path of hammer 3l to prevent the complete motion of the hammer and the verge thereby locking the escapement.

In operation the mechanism above described functions as follows:

Referring to Figure l, in which the parts of the mechanism are shown in position just before the tripping of the alarm, it will be seen that the follower I'I of the lever I5 has been raised by the high point of the cam I3 to such a position that the projection I8 of lever I5 engages the under edge of projection 43 of the forked lever 42 and has raised said forked lever a sufficient amount to completely disengage the follower 45 from the screw 35. Inthis position the projection I3 of lever I5 further engages the edge of the semi-circular projection 34, thus locking the verge 2 and thereby locking the escapement. When the alarm trips and the follower i'I of lever IS drops off the high point of cam I3, as

indicated in Figure 3, it will be seen that the projection I8 has dropped sufficiently to free the semi-circular projection 34. The verge 2'I is now free to operate and escapement of the alarm mechanism takes place. With the dropping of said projection I8 of lever I3 the forked lever 42 under tension of spring 41 also drops, and the follower 45 engages the threads of screw 35.

The point of engagement of said follower 45 with the threads of screw 35 and, consequently, the length of the period of the sounding of the alarm, may be manually controlled by adjusting the stop lever 55 as heretofore described. The stop lever engages stop collar 4I on shaft 39, which, being slidably mounted in frame plates I and 2 and underaxial tension from spring 41, is free to take any position as determined by the stop lever 50.

The follower 45 is forced forward by the threads of the turning screw 35 until it drops off the threads as shown in Figure 4. The dropping of said follower and the forked lever 42 brings the end of the projection 43 into engagement with the corner edge of projection 33, thus again locking the verge 21 and the escapement.

When it is desired, that the sounding of the alarm be skipped at a given twenty-four hour alarm point, the alarm may be made inoperative for one twenty-four hour period by pushing forward the shaft 59 until the follower 45 of the forked lever 42 passes over the bevelled surface 37 of the retainer 36 and is locked by the shoulder 38 against the tension of spring 4l as shown in Figures 5 and 6. This setting of the skip however, cannot be done until approximately eight hours have elapsed since the previous alarm, that is, until the cam I3 has raised forked level 42 by means of projection I8 to such a point that the follower 45 of forked lever 42 has been raised out of the groove between screw 35 and bevelled surface 3'1.

When the skip mechanism is thus set, the follower i5 of forked lever 42 engages the shoulder 33 of the retainer 36. The forked lever 42 is thus raised to a higher than normal position. When the alarm subsequently trips and the follower I'I of lever I5 drops olf the high point of cam I3, the projection I8 of lever I5 is restrained by projection 44 from dropping sufficiently to free ythe semi-circular projection 34. The lower edge of said projection i8 now engages the top edge of projection 44 of forked lever 42 and said projection 44 is held in a position suiciently high Vto keep said projection I8 in engagement with semi-circular projection 34, thus locking the es,- capement.

As the shaft 5 continues to rotate the cam I4 is brought into engagement with the projection 44 of forked lever 42. The forked lever is thus raised sufficiently so that the follower 45 is raised clear of the shoulder 38 of retainer 36 whereupon thev forked lever, by virtue of tensioned spring 4l, is caused to assume its starting position with respect to the screw 35, as determined by the stop lever 5I] and stop collar 4I, Projection I8 engages projection 43 thereby preventing follower 45 from dropping into the space between screw 35 and surface 37 as well as furnishing a guide surface along which projection 43 may slide as the forked lever assumes its starting position.

The entire mechanism is then in the position described in Figure 1 and ready for the repetition of the sequence of operations which has been described. i

so that the mechanism is again in readiness for I a repetition of the cycle of operations. Means are provided to skip one cycle of operations, so that the alarm will not be released until the Iday following operation of the skip means.

In addition to the shut-off member which isf manually operated it lwill be seen that two means, automatic in operation, are provided for locking verge 21; projection I8 may engage semi-circular projection 34, or projection 43 of forked 1ever 42 may engage projection 33. The latter means, projection 43, is held out of locking engagement by the former means, projection I8, when the former is held in locking engagement with the verge, but when the action of cam I3 and follower I1 releases projection I8 from locking engagement, the action of spring 41 tends to urge the forked lever 42 into locking engagement with the verge, the helical screw serving as means to delay the complete motion of the forked lever into locking engagement, during which delay the verge is free and the alarm rings. Operation of the skip mechanism causes the forked lever in this instance to hold the projection I3 in engagement with the verge through the normal release period.

It will be noted that spring 41 serves two functions; it urges the forked lever 42 vertically downward into engagement with the screw at the initiation of the alarm ringing period and downwardly off the end of the screw at the termination thereof, and it urges the forked lever in a horizontal direction, after projection I8 has lifted it clear of the screw, rearwardly to its original position as determined by stop lever 50.

`It will now be observed that an alarm clock has been described which is completely automatic in its operation from one day to the next, with the exception of the necessity of winding the clock and alarm springs. If eight-day clock and alarm movements are provided, the alarm will ring every day at the same time, requiring attention only once a week, or less. By means of the skip mechanism, the alarm may be turned off for Sunday morning, for instance, and without further setting will ring at the usual time Monday morning.

Although I have herein described but one preferred embodiment of my invention, it is understood that various modifications in the construction and changes in the shape, size and proportions of the parts may be effected without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In an alarm clock, the combination with the alarm mechanism thereof, of means for releasing the alarm at a predetermined time, means for automatically shutting olf said alarm at a predetermined time after the release thereof, a portion of said shut-off means being manually displaceable to engage and to render inoperative said alarm releasing means through the normal release period thereof.

2. In an alarm clock, the combination with the alarm mechanism thereof, of means for releasing the alarm at a predetermined time, means for automatically shutting off said alarm at a predetermined time after the release thereof, a portion of said shut-off means being manually displaceable to engage and to render inoperative 3 said alarm releasing means through the normal releasing period thereof, and means for restoring to said releasing means and to said shut-ofi means their first mentioned functions.

3. An alarm clock comprising time responsive control means, spring driven alarm mechanism, means to release said alarm mechanism for a predetermined interval, said releasing means being controlled by said time responsive means, and a single resilient means for actuating said releasing means. said resilient means being further tensioned by said spring driven alarm mechanism when said alarm mechanism is in released position.

4. An alarm clock comprising time responsive control means, spring driven alarm mechanism, means to release said alarm mechanism for a predetermined interval, said releasing means being controlled by said time responsive means, resilient means for actuating said releasing means, said resilient means being further rtensioned by said spring driven alarm mechanism when said alarm mechanism is in released position, and means to render said releasing means inoperative during one cycle of the operation thereof.

5. In an alarm clock, the combination with the alarm mechanism thereof, of means for releasing the alarm at a predetermined time, a spring biased member engaged by said releasing means and adapted to be released thereby simultaneously with the release of said alarm and to later engage and shut off said alarm mechanism, means to delay the movement of said biased member to said shut-off position, means to manually displace said biased member to render said releasing means inoperative, and means for restoring said biased member to said iirst mentioned position.

6. In an alarm clock, the combination with the alarm mechanism thereof, of means for releasing said alarm mechanism at a predetermined time. of an automatic alarm-stop mechanism including a helical shut-off cam provided with a helical cam groove, a shut-off member, and a cam rider positioned on said shut-off member, and of manually operable means for moving said shut-off member into a displaced position wherein said member engages said releasing means and holds the same inoperative through the normal release period thereof.

7. An alarm clock comprising a striking member, means for driving said striking member, time responsive means, releasing means controlled by said time responsive means for normally engaging said striking member but adapted to release the same at a predetermined time, control means for engaging said striking member, said control means being normally held inoperative by said releasing means and adapted to be released by said releasing means to engage said striking member at a predetermined time after the release thereof by said releasing means, thereby automatically shutting off the alarm, and adapted to be disengaged from said striking member and again rendered inoperative when said releasing means is restored to engaged position by said time responsive means, manual means for displacing said control means to render said striking member inoperative through the period in which said releasing means would normally release said striking member, and means for restoring said control means to normal position after the expiration of said period.

8. In an alarm clock, the combination with the alarm mechanism thereof, of time responsive driving means, alarm releasing means controlled by said time responsive driving means to normally engage said alarm mechanism and to release the same at predetermined times, an alarm shut-oil member normally engaged `by said releasing means, and adapted to be released thereby, means adapted to be engaged by said shutoi member after the release thereof, said means being driven by said alarm mechanism to urge said shut-off member into engagement with said alarm mechanism to render the same inoperative, said shut-oir member at all times being positioned in the path of motion of said releasing means whereby as said releasing means is restored by said time responsive driving means to normal position, said shut-oli member is disengaged from said alarm mechanism, means whereby said releasing means may be retained in engaged position with respect to said alarm mechanism to prevent said alarm mechanism from operating when said time responsive means reaches its normal releasing position, and means controlled by said time responsive driving means for automatically restoring said releasing means to its normal position.

9. In an alarm clock, the combination With the alarm mechanism thereof, of time responsive driving means, alarm releasing means controlled by said time responsive driving means to nor-` mally engage said alarm mechanism and to release the same at predetermined times, an alarm shut-off member normally engaged by said releasing means, and adapted to be released thereby, a helical cam adapted to be engaged by said.

shut-oli? member after the release thereof, said helical cam being driven by said alarm mechanism to urge said shut-off member into engagement with said alarm mechanism to render the same inoperative, resilient means urging said shut-oil member into engagement with said helical cam and opposing the motion of said shutoff member along said cam to said alarm mechanism engaging position, said shut-oir member at all times being positioned in the path of motion of said releasing means and operable thereby to disengage it from said cam whereby said resilient means restores said shut-off member to its normal position, means whereby said releasing means may be vretained in engaged position with respect to said alarm mechanism to prevent said alarm Amechanism from operating when said time responsive means reaches its normal releasing position, and adjustable stop means to determine the normal position of said shut-off member, and to regulate the extent of the engagement of said shut-01T member with said helical cam whereby the length o the alarm sounding period may be controlled.

l0. In an alarm clock, the combination with the alarm mechanism thereof, of time responsive driving means, alarm releasing means controlled by said time responsive driving means to normally engage said alarm mechanism and to release the same at predetermined times, an alarm shut-oil member normally engaged by said releasing means, and adapted to be released thereby to engage said alarm mechanism, a helical cam adapted to be engaged by said shutoi member after the release thereof, said helical cam being driven by said alarm mechanism to urge said shut-off member into engagement with said alarm mechanism to render the same inoperative, resilient means urging said shutoff member into engagement with said helical cam and opposing the motion of said shut-off member along said cam to said alarm engaging position, means whereby as said releasing means is restored by said time responsive driving means to normal position, said shut-oir member is disengaged from said cam, thereby permitting said resilient means to restore said shut-off means to its normal position, means whereby said shutoi member may be manually displaced to retain said releasing means in engaged position with respect to said alarm mechanism-to prevent said alarm mechanism from operating when said time responsive means reaches its normal releasing position, means controlled by said time responsive -driving means for releasing said shut- 01T member from said displaced position thereby permitting automatic restoration of said shutoff member and said releasing means to their normal position, and means to regulate the extent of the engagement of said shut-off member with said helical cam whereby the length of the alarm may be controlled.

RICHARD KRAMER. 

